After Oculus Quest commercials blanketed the airwaves before the holidays, a number of folks at Common Sense Media raised concerns about Facebook’s take on virtual reality. I decided to seize on this interest to offer up some thoughts on how to improve virtual reality for kids, putting out a short paper: Safe and Secure VR: Policy Issues Impacting Kids’ Use of Immersive Tech.
To guide tech companies’ decisions as they create immersive content aimed at kids, I suggest several ways to ensure kids experience these technologies in a safe, secure, and responsible environment, including:
- Parental controls should be effective and account for the unique features of VR games, such as its immersive nature. For example, providing clear time-limit mechanisms to prevent overuse.
- VR platforms must create safer virtual environments. We need a strong set of standards for rating and moderating VR experiences so families can choose what is appropriate for their children.
- Companies must step up their protection of kids’ data, especially because immersive tech like VR requires the collection of so much sensitive behavioral information.
A number of colleagues and VR enthusiasts offered feedback, and I remain thankful to Lindsey Barrett, Mary Berk, Jon Brescia, Jeff Haynes, Girard Kelly, Joe Newman, and Jenny Radesky for their thoughtful feedback — and willingness to read the paper.
// Download the full paper here.
